Construction of railroad-tracks.



No. 656,986. A Patented Aug. 28, I900.

G. LINDENTHAL.

CONSTRUCTION OF RAILROAD TRACKS.

(Application filed July 20, 1899.)

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No. 656 986. Patented Aug. 28, I900.

a. LINDENTHAL.

CONSTRUCTION OF RAILROAD TRACKS.

(Application filed July 20, 1899.)

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No. 655,986. Patented Aug. 28, I900. G. LINDENTHAL.

CONSTRUCTION OF RAILROAD TRACKS.

(Application filed July 20, 1899.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GUSTAV LINDENTHAL, OF NElV YORK, N. Y.

CONSTRUCTION OF RAILROAD-TRACKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 656,986, dated August28, I900.

Application filed July 20, 1899.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUSTAV LINDENTHAL, of the city, county, and State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in theConstruction of Railroad- Tracks, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact specification, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, wherein Figurel is an isometric View of apart of arailroad-track constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a sideelevation; Figs. 3 and 4t, cross-sectionalviews on lines 3 3 and 4t 4,respectivelyindicated in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is aplan view. Fig. 6 is a planview; Fig. 7, a side view of a part of the longitudinal sleepers used inmy improved construction; Figs. 8 and 9, sectional views on lines 8 8and 9 9, respectively indicated in Fig. 6. Figs. 10 and 11 arecross-sectional views of a railroad-track constructed according to myinvention. Fig. 12 is an enlarged elevation of a fish-plate used in theconstruction. Fig. 13 is a sectional view thereof, and Fig. 14: is anenlarged cross-sectional view of a detachable wedge used in securing therails to the chairs and cross-rods.

My invention relates to railroad-track construction; and it consists ofthe hereinafterdescribed improvements of metallic foundation for railsand in the combinations of various devices hereinafter described andemployed for the stated purpose.

The essential features of my invention are longitudinal sleepers forrailroads, combined with rail-chairs or rail-supports on top .to whichthe rails are firmly fastened, the Whole resulting in greaterlongitudinal rigidity of the rail'track as compared with the ordinarycross-tie construction in which the rails alone furnish the longitudinalrigidity.

My combination permits the longitudinal sleepers to be deeply buried andtightly wedged in the ballast to resist upward bending of the track fromthe wave-like motion in the rails in front of the wheels of movingtrains, the ballast on top of the sleepers aiding in counteracting theupward deflection underthepassingwheel-loads. My improved constructionof metallic foundations for rails is in these respects distinguishedfrom certain constructions in which the rails are fastened Serial No.724,474. (No model.)

directly to longitudinal sleepers without the intervention of crosssupports or chairs. In such combination the foundation for the track istoo shallow and not rigid enough and is open to the further objectionthat the railfastenings do not permit of necessary lateral adjustment onthe longitudinal sleepers. In my system of constructing railroad-tracksthe same details of rail-fastenings may be used on curves as ontangents, which is another essential improvement over the prior art.

In practicing my invention I use continuous longitudinal sleepers madeof'rolled iron or steel. The cross-sections of the sleepers may be ofdouble-rectangular-angle pattern, with reinforced edges, as shown inFig. 1 and more clearly in Figs. 3 and 4, or of any other form affordinga large bearing area on the ballast. The double-rectangular-anglesections are the preferable form on account of the easier and bettertamping of the ballast under them. In theheretofore-used form,

which is the inverted-trough section, simul- I taneous tamping from bothsides is required, Whereas for sleepers of the double-rectangular-anglesection each side can be separately tamped, the material beingcompressed against the Vertical leg, which is thus firmly wedged andanchored in the ballast. longitudinal sleepers must not necessarily becomposed of two sections joined by the railchairs; but this constructionis preferable for the reasons already stated, and also for the furtherreason that one section may overlap the other at the joints, as shown,for instance, in Fig. 1. Without such overlapping of the joints therewould be weak spots in the construction and the longitudinal rigidity ofthe track would be impaired. On curved por tions of the track thelongitudinal sleepers are laid in the form of a polygon, the overlappingjoints permitting sufticient lateral clearance in the holes of the boltconnections for that purpose.

The rail-chairs 2 used for combining the two sections of thelongitudinal sleepers and for supporting the rails are made of eitherrolled iron or steel of the form of Z-iron or of any other suitablerolled or cast form. They are riveted or bolted to the longitudinalsleepers at suitable intervals, forming supports for the rails, whichare bolted to them. The wedge block or clip 7 has a rib, as shown, sothat the nut of the bolt 5 shall always be center-bearing and free fromcross strains.

Each of the rail-chairs 2, composed of two sections, has a slot 4sufiiciently wide to admit the shanks of bolts 5 for securing the railsto the chairs. This slot 4 permits of lateral adjustment'of the railsduring the laying of the track, so that the rails may be brought intoperfect alinement, whether on a tangent or a curve,-without shifting-thelongitudinal sleepers which furnish the foundation for the track in theballast. Similar slots 15 are provided in the bases of rail-chairs 14,which support the rails at the joints. These rail-chairs 14 under therail-joints are of larger dimensions and heavier in cross-section,having to resist larger strains. They may be made of cast-iron or steeland are also fastened down to the longitudinal sleepers by bolts 16.Slots 15 allow lateral adjustment of the rails in the same manner asexplained with reference to slots 4 of rail-chairs 2. In this system ofconstruction the rail-joint is reinforced by the longitudinal stiffnessof the sleeper to which the rail is rigidly joined by the chair 14, andthe ends of the rails cannot possibly drop or rise as usually is thecase with the ordinary railroad-tie construction. For that reason it isnot necessary that the rail-splices or fishbars be of equal strengthwith the rail, because in my construction they serve only the purpose ofkeeping the rails in proper alinement. The rail ends are supported frombelow, as hereinbefore explained, being firmly screwed down to therail-chairs, which in turn are firmly secured to the longitudinalsleepers tightly embedded in the ballast. They are thus secured againstvertical deflection without the aid of fish-bars or rail-splices. Forthese reasons any of the usual forms of railsplices may be used, but Iprefer to use ordinary fish-bars of the angle pattern.

It will be seen in the drawings, and more particularly in enlargeddetail views, Figs. 12, 13, and 14, that the fish-plates 12 and also thevarious wedge blocks or clips 7, 18, and 20. have raisedbearing-surfaces under the screwnuts. They prevent, as before mentioned,undue bending strains on the screw-bolts from an unequal bearing of thenut.

The rails are held to gage by gageangles 19, as shown in the drawings.These are socured to the rails by means of wedge blocks or clips 20 inasimilar manner as therails are secured to the rail-chairs.

Another feature of my invention is embodied in the splice-plates 8 ofthe longitudinal sleepers, whereby their creeping in the ballast isprevented. One or both ends of each splice-plate 8 are bent downward atright angles and form a sort of anchor embedded in the ballast andresisting longitudinal motion of the track. The construction ofthesejoints of the sections is shown in Figs. 6 to 9, inclusive, of thedrawings.

Figs. 10 and 11 of the drawings show sectional views of a complete trackconstructed according to my invention. These figures show also the meansused for draining the road-bed by drain-pipes 21, carrying off the waterwhich would otherwise accumulate in the material between the rails andby work ing under the ballast would impair the firmness and safety ofthe track-foundation. Instead of draining the road-bed in the manner asshown and described the space between the layers may be paved withbrick, stone, asphaltum, or cement.

I claim as my invention 1. Longitudinal sleepers for railroad-tracksconsisting of successive sections and of spliceplates joining thesections longitudinally and having ends bent downward and transverselyto the line of the longitudinal sleepers.

2. Arail-track foundation consisting of continuous longitudinal metallicsleepers, composed of sections and of splice-plates joining the sectionslongitudinally and having flanges bent downwardly and transversely tothe line of the longitudinal sleepers, rail-chairs secured thereto andof means for securing the rails to the rail-chairs.

8. A rail-track foundation consisting of longitudinal metallic sleeperscomposed of sections and of splice-plates joining the sections andhaving flanges bent transversely to the line of the sleepers, slottedcross-ties secured to the sleepers independently of the rails and ofmeans for securing the rails to the cross-ties.

4. A railroad-track foundation consisting of longitudinal metallicsleepers composed of parallel sections and of splice-plates joining thesections and having flanges bent transversely to the line of thesleepers, rail-chairs set transversely upon the sections and adj ustablysecured thereto and of means for securing rails to the chairs. 1

5. A rail-track fou ndation consisting of continuous longitudinalmetallic sleepers, composed of parallel sections and of splice-platesjoining the sections longitudinally, slotted rail-chairs settransversely upon the sections and secured thereto, and of means forsecuring rails to the chairs.

6. A railroad-track foundation consisting of longitudinal metallicsleepers composed of parallel sections, rail-chairs provided with slotsto admit of lateral adjustment of the rails, affixed to the parallelsections independently of the rails and of means for securing thereto ofrails.

'7. A railroad-track foundation consisting of longitudinal metallicsleepers, rail-chairs ICO afixed thereto and provided with slotsadmitting of lateral adjustment of the rails,

bolts fitted into the slots and wedge-blocks set on the bolts andadapted to engage with and secure the rails to the chairs.

8. A rail-track foundation consisting of Iongitudinal metallic sleeperscomposed of parallel sections and of rail-chairs composed of two Z-ironsset transversely upon the sections opposite each other and so that aslot is left between their upper flanges, adapted to receive the shanksof bolts for securing the rails thereto.

9. The combination with longitudinal sleepers, of rail-chairs composedof two pieces of Z-irons secured to the sleepers opposite each other insuch position that a slot is left between their upper flanges adapted'to receive the shanks of bolts for securing the rails to the chairs.

10. The combination of longitudinal sleepers composed of sections and ofsplice-plates joining the sections longitudinally, railchairs providedwith transverse slots secured to the sleepers, rails set approximatelyin line with the longitudinal sleepers upon the rail-chairs, means forsecuring the rails to the rail-chairs and means for securing the railsin alinement.

11. A rail-track, consisting of longitudinal sleepers of rolled iron orsteel shapes, arranged parallel to each other; each sleeper consistingof sections and of splice-plates joining the sections and having flangesbent transversely to the line of the sleepers, railchairs having slotsadmitting lateral adjustment of the rails, set in intervals across thesections of the sleepers and uniting them; rails mounted on therail-chairs, and secured thereto, and cross-rods connecting the rails ofthe track at intervals.

GUSTAV LINDENTHAL.

Witnesses:

HENRY SCHREI'IER, ROBERT VALENTINE MATHEWS,

